Deuce Vaughn is ready for NFL Draft, but it wasn’t easy for him to leave Kansas State
Deuce Vaughn is willing to do just about anything to prove he is ready to play in the NFL.
Case in point: The former Kansas State running back decided to show off his skills as a punt returner last week at the Wildcats’ pro day, even though there were strong winds sweeping through Bill Snyder Family Stadium at the time and he didn’t return punts as a college player.
“That’s just another way to get on the football field,” Vaughn said. “But that wind was tough, I’m not going to lie. There were some times when that ball was up and it darted back to the left. I’m getting thrown into the fire here. It’s the best way to learn.”
Vaughn is trying to prove himself all over again.
Even after the 5-foot-6 speedster from Round Rock, Texas has shown the world that he isn’t too small to make incredible plays and help his college team win a Big 12 championship he is now on a mission to make the same kind of impact on a NFL roster.
So far, he appears to have done enough to be selected in the middle round of the upcoming NFL Draft. Vaughn put up solid numbers at the scouting combine and followed that up with another good showing at K-State’s pro day. Add that on to his production as a junior with Wildcats (1,936 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns) and he has created lots of interest.
Vaughn says he has spoken informally with 25 different NFL teams and he has gone through private interviews with 11.
All things considered, it seems like he made a wise decision to leave college a year early. Still, saying goodbye to the Wildcats was a difficult thing for him to do.
“It was,” Vaughn said. “It really was. A lot of people would think that leaving after three years was a dream come true, but it really wasn’t for me. I love this place. I loved playing inside of Bill Snyder Family Stadium. I love these guys inside the locker room and I love these coaches.”
So why leave?
“It was a business decision,” Vaughn said. “I don’t think my body could have done another 300 touches. This past year I went through a lot of stuff to be on that football field. It was one those decisions that I made with my family. I had to understand that another year of college football wasn’t going to help my draft stock. This has been a dream for a very long time and it’s time to go attack it.”
As fate would have it, Vaughn was able to declare for the NFL Draft at the same time as his college roommate, Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
It was an easier choice for Anudike-Uzomah to forgo his final year of college eligibility, though. Some think the defensive end will be a first-round selection. The draft is also being held in his hometown of Kansas City.
“Oh my god, it’s a dream,” Anudike-Uzomah said. “I remember last year around this time when I figured out it was going to be in Kansas City. I was like, OK, I need to get out. I need to show what I can do this season. I need to do the best I can so I can be able to make a dream come true and make my family and people in my city happy to get drafted in Kansas City.”
K-State figures to be well represented at the draft later this spring.
Cornerback Julius Brents is also projected to be an early round pick. And there’s a chance other former players such as Josh Hayes, Malik Knowles and Ekow Boye-Doe will hear their names in the later rounds.
The most mystery probably revolves around Vaughn. It won’t surprise anyone if a team picks him in the third round or if a team waits to scoop him up in the late rounds. There is no consensus yet.
He is prepared for anything.
“I will be here in Manhattan for about two weeks doing some interviews and Zoom calls,” Vaughn said. “But then I get to the fun part, getting back to working out for football and getting ready for rookie mini camp. I’m super excited about this next step.”
